Same mountain, whole new perspective.
Same Amber, whole new perspective.
She shook her head and chuckled. Since when had she become a philosopher? Time to unpack some clothes. She grabbed her Coke and headed to her room, tempted to take a running start and slide across the floors. Before she had a chance to do it, the doorbell rang. Who could it be? They didn’t know anyone in town yet.
Rounding the corner toward the small foyer off the dining room, she could see an arm in the smoky-glass window that ran the length of the door. The visitor shifted, and Amber could make out a bit more of the arm and a bit of leg. Then, even more. Brittany! She threw the door open and hugged her. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think I’d see you for two weeks.”
“Oh, I came a little early. We need time to explore, silly! My parents are going to drive up with my stuff in ten days.”
“You mean we have ten days just to hang out before school starts?”
“Yep, I have to be at UW for registration on the nineteenth. Until then, we can do whatever. Your parents were in on it, too. Surprise!”
“This is exactly what I needed! I tried to be brave, but I definitely felt a little sad.” She threw her arms around Brittany again. “I’m so glad you’re here, Britt. What are we going to do first?”
“Well, from the looks of things around here, unpack.” Brittany looked in exaggerated horror at the boxes and piles of things to be put away.
“I do have a lot to do here, and it’s Mom’s birthday. I was going to make her dinner.” Amber shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry. I know it’s probably not what you had in mind. But we can hit the town tomorrow. Okay?”
“That’s perfect. Now, show me around so we can get started.” Brittany headed into the house. She whistled when she saw the great room. “This is awesome. Wow.” She stepped back and looked up at the vaulted ceiling with the skylights. “This is so different from the old house.”
“I know. I’m never going to want to leave here.” Amber grinned. “Really, though, I’m just so happy for my mom and dad. They deserve this.”
At that moment, Amber’s parents came into the room and rushed to hug Brittany. “We’re so glad you could come and stay with us for a little while. It helps the transition for Amber, I’m sure.”
“I’m glad to be here. I can’t imagine why this”—she gestured around the room—”would be a difficult transition, though.”
“Change always has its challenges. Even good change.” Dad flipped the switch to turn on the gas at the fireplace. “Actually, I can’t stand gas fires. They don’t come close to the sound of crackling wood and the smell of the real thing. I have wood being delivered tomorrow that we’ll burn during the colder months. For now, though …” He pushed a button and the fire roared to life.
Amber glanced at her mom. She seemed happier than she’d ever been. Hmm. She’d been right all along. God had met their needs in perfect timing—more than their needs. She looked beyond the fireplace to the setting sun beyond the mountains. Wait. Setting sun? Dinner! “Britt, I’d better start dinner if we have any hope of eating it before midnight.”
“Great. I’ll help.”
In the kitchen, both girls washed their hands.
“What’s on the menu?” Brittany asked.
“It’s all her favorites. Grilled lamb chops, double-baked potatoes, grilled asparagus, and fresh salad with homemade dressing.”
“Wow. You can cook all of that?”
“Sure. I have the chops marinating, and the salad is ready to be tossed right before dinner’s ready. I’ve baked the potatoes once. Now we need to scoop the potato out of the skins and mix in the good stuff, then re-bake them.” Amber reached into the stainless steel refrigerator and handed Brittany the sour cream, butter, cheese, and green onions. “The asparagus will go on the grill at about the same time as the chops do. All that’s left is to make the dressing.”
“I had no idea you could cook like this.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot about me no one … well, what I mean is … I think I’ve been pretty selfish.
I never bothered to do much for other people.” She started scooping out the potatoes into a large mixing bowl, careful to leave the skins intact. “That’s changing.”
“I can see that.” Brittany grabbed the sour cream. “Here, let me help. How much of this goes in there?”
“Oh, let’s not count calories tonight. Pour the whole thing in here.”
“You read my mind.” Brittany scooped every last drop of sour cream into the bowl along with the shredded cheese, onion, and butter.
Once they mixed it all together, then salted and peppered it, Amber scooped huge mounds of the potato mixture into the skins that lay waiting on a tray. They sprinkled bacon, a few more green onion pieces, and some paprika on top. A piece of aluminum foil covered the tray, which got set aside until a bit later.
“I cannot wait to eat those potatoes!”
“Wait until you taste the lamb.”
“I want to unbutton my pants … how gluttonous is that?” Amber’s mom laughed. “That is the best meal I’ve had in a long time. Thank you so much, sweetie.”
“Oh my. I agree. You girls did an amazing job.”
“Don’t thank me.” Brittany shook her head. “Amber pretty much had it all done before I even got here. It was all her.”
“Well, I’m glad you liked it. Don’t go anywhere, though. There’s still dessert—strawberry shortcake.” Amber stood up to get the cake.
“Oh no.” Mom laughed. “That’s going to have to wait until later, I’m afraid.”
“That’s fine. But I want to give you your birthday present now. Okay?” She couldn’t wait any longer.
“Sure. But this dinner was present enough for me. What else could there be?”
Amber scurried to her bedroom, socks slipping on the floor as she went. She dived to the floor and dug under her bed for the wrapped package she’d hidden there. As she left her bedroom, she reached up to switch off the light. No sense wasting money. She smiled to herself—amazing how things had changed.
Back in the dining room, she handed her mom the box. “Before you open this, Mom, I want to say thank you.”
“You’re giving me a present, but you’re thanking me? I don’t get it.”
“I want you to know how much I appreciate all you’ve sacrificed for me over these past years. I think back and realize I’ve acted like a spoiled brat. You gave up the most—you wore old clothes, you never bought new furniture or cars, you never got to go out to nice places, you didn’t even have a cell phone—but I did.” She gestured around the room. “I’m so glad to see you getting the chance to have some things that you’ve wanted.”
“Amber, all I’ve ever wanted has been to see you and your dad happy. I don’t really care about those things you mentioned. I’d rather have time with you guys than a new car. I’d rather sit down to a dinner like this, lovingly prepared by my daughter, than go to the fanciest of restaurants.” She dabbed her eyes with a napkin. “I’ve lived my dream. This house is just icing on the cake. I’d have been fine, forever, without it.”
“That’s exactly what makes you so wonderful.” Dad spoke up and reached across the table to pat her hand. “I’m dying to see what’s in the box, though.”
“Yeah, open it,” Brittany urged. “I think I know what it is.”
Amber winked at her.
Mom pulled off the pink bow and tore off the floral wrapping paper. She turned the box over and read the words on the cover: Donna Karan. “Really?”
“Yeah. Whenever we watched those designer shows or flipped through magazines, she’s the only designer you really seemed to like.”
“Wow. I had no idea you noticed that.” She started to open the box. “It’s not that I didn’t like the other designers—I just felt Donna Karan designed the clothes I’d want to wear if I could—classic, yet stylish. Upscale, but not too flashy. A lot of her stuff, you could wear during the day or at n
ight—if you’re the type of person who goes anywhere.” Mom laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Would you open it already?” Dad sounded impatient with all the talk of designers and fashion.
Mom pulled the top off the box and parted the layers of tissue paper, savoring the moment. She gasped when she saw the crisp white blouse layered under the emerald green pin-tucked blazer, lying on top of the perfect pair of black pants. “Oh, Amber. This is beautiful. How on earth did you ever afford this?”
“Oh, I returned a pair of jeans,” she winked at Brittany, “saved up some money, did some odd jobs—nothing major. Do you like it?”
“Sweetheart, I absolutely love it.” Mom wiped her eyes. “I … well … you know … this stuff isn’t important to me. But it sure does make me feel special—like a lady.” She looked at her husband. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want many things this expensive. But one or two classic pieces like this that will last forever—that can’t be bad, can it?”
“Babe, I wish I could have done this for you years ago.” He shook his head. “You’ve sacrificed too much.”
“No. It was just right. Without the waiting, none of this”—she gestured to the present on her lap and the house all around her—”would have been special at all.”
“You know what, Mom?” Amber piped up. “I totally get what you’re saying. If I hadn’t gone through—scratch that—if I hadn’t done what I did, I’d never have learned about what I had become. Now, the contrast is so glaring that it makes me appreciate the change so much more.”
They sat in silence, taking in the words. Amber soaked up the love around the table and felt bathed in warmth and love from her heavenly Father.
Mom stood up from the table. “You girls go on now, your dad and I will clean up.” She started to collect the dishes. “Go explore, see a movie, do something fun. Thank you so much for … well … for all of this—the dinner, the present, the love.”
“Okay. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad.” Amber hugged them both. “I love you both.”
“Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens. We’ll be back before too long.”
They turned to leave the kitchen, but Amber stopped short. “Hey, you guys. Would it be okay if we tried out a church together on Sunday?”
“Oh, Amber. And I thought my birthday couldn’t get any better.”
Dad smiled and nodded. “I’m pretty sure that can be arranged.”
The next three chapters tell the story of what happened to Amber when she decided not to admit to cheating and clear Brittany’s name.
Chapter 10
TOO LATE
No way. As much as her insides screamed at her to put a stop to the whole thing, Amber sat still, frozen to her seat. What could she do? Walk right into the principal’s office and hand over her car keys, turn in her college scholarship, and disappoint everyone? People wouldn’t really expect that of her, would they?
Amber looked around the room. Lucy and Kara sat in the corner applying makeup. Pete had his nose in a book, as usual. Chet stuck a gooey wad of gum to the bottom of his desk. Eww. She’d gone to school with most of the students since kindergarten. She knew them well. Not a chance any one of them would turn themselves in—not if they stood to lose what she did. Never.
Her stomach churned as she watched through the window. Mr. Kim turned toward the backseat where Brittany sat.
Brittany nodded, wiped her face with her sleeve, put her head back, and closed her eyes.
Mr. Kim gave a slight smile and one small nod to his grief-stricken wife, then started the car. It roared to life, the lights blinked on for a brief moment, and then he eased the car into reverse.
Why did he drive so slowly? Almost as though he were waiting for something. Someone? Amber’s thoughts swirled and bounced out of control. She exhaled the breath she’d been holding and unclenched her stiff fists.
The second hand on the clock over the chalkboard ticked by, each minute feeling like an hour. The teacher’s voice droned on and on, but Amber barely heard a word she said. Twenty seconds until the bell, then escape. Only two more days until graduation. Would Brittany even be there? What would happen to her? Amber made a snap decision to go to Britt’s house right after school. After all, it wouldn’t be natural not to reach out to her best friend at such a troubled time—someone might suspect something if she went home and hid.
Finally, the bell clanged, signaling the end of the school day. Amber scooped up her belongings and hurried from the classroom. She wanted to get out of there and over to Brittany’s house to find out if she had any idea of the truth. She couldn’t. Could she?
Amber rushed down the long hall, avoiding eye contact with everyone, and stepped out into the fresh, springtime air. Ah. She took a deep breath, filled her lungs, and then released it in a cleansing flood. When she stood a few yards away from her car, she pressed the little button on her key chain to release the door locks. Beep-beep. The lights flickered as the alarm shut off. She opened the car door and got inside just in time to hear someone call her name.
Kyle. She forced herself not to glance in his direction, closed the door, and started the engine, pretending not to hear him. He approached the car just as she finished backing up and got the car pointed around toward the exit. She looked in the other direction.
Glancing up to the rearview mirror, Amber saw Kyle standing alone in the parking lot, looking rather upset and pale. Hmm. Not like him at all. Maybe he’d wanted a ride. Oh well, he could take the bus like any other day. She had other, much more important business to attend to. With Brittany on her mind, Amber turned left and headed away from the school.
During the short drive to Britt’s house, the new-car smell brought on waves of nausea—too sweet, too clean—something. She put the window down to get some fresh air before she vomited. When that didn’t help, she opened the moon roof to let in even more air. She gulped deep breaths and exhaled, trying to calm her churning stomach—her nerves.
The drive took forever—everything dragged on in slow motion. She wanted to make it past the next few days, get to the other side of all the drama and confusion, with her friendships and her future intact so she could sit back and enjoy it all. But one day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time. That’s how it had to be—whether she liked it or not.
Standing on the Kims’ front porch, waiting for someone to open the door, Amber wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. She’d know in an instant if Brittany suspected her. A few seconds later, the door flew open and a blubbering heap threw herself onto Amber’s shoulder. Britt clung to Amber and sobbed … and sobbed.
“I … didn’t … do it …” Brittany gulped and took a ragged breath. “I … promise … I didn’t cheat.”
Amber brushed the hair off Brittany’s forehead and helped her into the house, away from the prying eyes of the neighbors. “I know. I never thought for a second you did.” She deposited Brittany into a kitchen chair and filled a glass of water from the kitchen sink. Not too cold—just the way her friend liked it.
Brittany blew her nose and then added to the mounds of tissues already piled high on the kitchen table.
Walking across the room to give Brittany her water, Amber noticed the trash can overflowed with wads of used tissues. She could remember two times—maybe three—that Brittany had cried over something. This reached far beyond that. Amber had never seen Britt so upset. Of course, she couldn’t exactly blame her.
“Britt, tell me what happened.” She settled into the chair across the dinette and held one of Brittany’s hands between both of hers.
“They said I … I … cheated on my tests. They aren’t going to … to let me … gr–graduate.” Her words started a fresh round of sobbing. “I l–l–lost everything today. College. The scholarship. Everything.” Brittany pounded her fist on the table. “But I didn’t do it!”
Oh God “You’re just going to have to tell them that, Britt. They’ll have to believe you. If you didn’t do it, they can’t have hard proof that you did. R
ight?” She has to get out of this. She has to.
Brittany snorted. “You’d think. But no. They have proof that I had signed into one of the computers in the computer room with my library password—who else would know my password? And while still supposedly signed in, I hacked into the teacher’s files and printed out three final exams. What’s worse, I printed ten copies of each … supposedly.”
“Why does it matter how many they think you printed?” It took all of Amber’s strength not to run away, but instead, she pulled her chair closer to Brittany and leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table.
“It matters because they’re pressuring me to tell them who else I gave those copies to—or they’ll expel me, and I won’t even be able to make up the courses in summer school. I have to come up with ten names. Problem is, I didn’t do it, so I’d be lying if I gave them names.” Brittany’s watery eyes looked deeply into Amber’s. “Basically, it comes down to this: They said if I tell them, I’ll have the chance to make up my classes in the summer. If I don’t, I’m expelled.”
Expelled. Things grew more serious as the moments drew on. Amber could never come clean, now. No way. “You know I love you no matter what. So, you can tell me if you had anything to do with this.” That kind of talk should convince Brittany that Amber had nothing to do with it.
“I’m only going to say this to you one more time. I didn’t do it. Period. I had nothing to do with it.” She buried her head in her arms. “You of all people should know that.”
“You’re right. I’m as confused by this as you are.” Amber stood up, the legs of her chair screeching as she pushed it back across the tile. “Okay then, who could have done it?” Amber tapped on her chin as she paced the floor. “Have you ever shared your password with anyone?”
“I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of who it could be. But I’ve never even given my password to you, why would I tell it to anyone else?” She shook her head and released a fresh stream of tears.
Swept Away Page 9
